24 replies to this topic

[Mini Cheddars]

Good luck driving a whole CITY to another country, but I commend you for your effort! As daft as it is!

[Mattl]

Parking in the dam is a pain and expensive. Apparantly best bet is to use a park and ride on outskirts of the city 8 euros for 24 hours includes transport in and out if the city.

You been before?

[jb93]

Hire a car?

[Big Sam]

I drove Merseyside to Rotterdam, a bit further but it was in a Mazda 6. Driving over there is a doddle.

[The Matt]

Some of the BH2N lot do that kind of drive over to the 'ring.

There's a few that drive from North East England, a few from Manchester have done it, a few from South Wales.....we had one guy drive from Scotland once, but he was in a MKI Cavalier.

Servicing and maintenance is one important factor, but European breakdown cover is another BIG factor!

[Big Sam]

It's now an easy journey from Calais though, via Gent, Antwerp, Utrecht and on to Amsterdam.

Antwerp can be absolutely spanked for traffic if you get there at the wrong time, i spent a couple of hours stuck there.

[AVV IT]

Check the ferry prices on the Dover to Dunkirk route, as opposed to the Dover to Calais route, because the crossing tends to be a fair bit cheaper. Plus as you land about 50 miles further up the coast in Dunkirk, you save a bit on fuel costs too. Norfolkline are the main operator on the Dover to Dunkirk route I believe.

Also really do think about stopping off at Antwerp along the way, (as you will be practically going past it on your way through to Amsterdam any way). Antwerp is firmly in the dutch/flemish region of Belgium and therefore has just about everything to offer that Amsterdam does, yet it hasn't become the tourist toilet that Amsterdam has in recent years.

[The Matt]

Yeah, Norfolkline (now DFDS Seaways) Dover to Dunkirk is the one we take. 2 hour crossing and about 60 quid average return fare.

[Kam]

Its more miles for you to get to dover from manchester than to get to amsterdam itself from dover, difference is the scenery is slightly better on the latter!

Good call AVV IT on the ferry to dunkirk, saves another 30 miles or so

I wouldn't be worried about doing it in a mini, a mini is a mini, it doesn't know the difference between one mile and a thousand miles.

TMF's run from dover to germany is only slightly more miles than going to amsterdam and plenty of people here do that every year with no issues, and as Matt said people have to make a trek just to get to dover in the first place but they do. When we (TMF) went to germany in september one guy Steve came down from newcastle in his mini and on the way back I'm sure he went to north germany or thereabouts to then catch a ferry back to blightly from there. I took my mini to cornwall (kent to cornwall) the week before germany and took it to Le Mans in june, its a mini, if you let it it'll keep on going and going and going and going...

Don't be daunted driving all the way there on your own either, its just a drive. Anything you need to know just ask away, plenty of people here can help

I wouldn't just say to everyone go drive in europe but I would say go drive your mini in europe

[Binzo94]

Thanks for the advice guys, im not bothered about driving or anything cause there would be 4 of us, the only thing i would be worryed about would be breaking down and having to come back, but i wouldnt plan on going till either febuary april or in the summer so plenty of time